A former client shared a story recently about how she and her family pulled into their drive way after coming from the public pool and saw a man in a suit standing on their door step.

It was the Guardian Ad Litem, ringing their doorbell for a scheduled visit.

They jumped out of their van soaking wet and tuckered out from the pool, house not ready for company, and completely having forgotten this appointment.

This is their third adoption, fifth child through adoption, and frankly they are pretty busy being a family.

I had to laugh because it is not just MAA clients that have moments like this.

I have on more than one occasion forgotten that a social worker was coming over and received a call that someone was “at our door for the appointment.”

These appointments regardless of how many adoption we have done are important as when there is a need in the home the visits can help address that need, and perhaps keep a child safer and help a family adjust. They are also vital to keeping international adoption open and alive in the United States. We must do them, even years later when the “process” of adoption seems so very far away because we are smack in the middle of life as a family.

For China, those post placement visits occur at thirty days after placement, six months, one year, two years, and five years later., As I am writing about this- a social worker myself- I am realizing that we must have a post placement very soon as we are quickly approaching the two year anniversary of LingLing coming home.

I’m so grateful for the story from my friend of her standing their soaked and sunkissed, messy house, and exhausted kids staring at the neatly dressed court representative because it is a good reminder that its not just me that does stuff like that- a lot! And in the long run the court reps and social worker are not looking for a house that came of off a pintrest page. They are looking for a family that is healthy, vibrant, and safe.

I think my friend with her van full of wet happy kids showed just that.

For more information on post placement requirements for your state please contact your homestudy caseworker or MAA staff. We are happy to help you understand the post placement process and then it is up to you to remember your scheduled visits (hehe, wink-wink!).

MAA Adoption Programs

Madison Adoption Associates currently offers international adoption programs in the countries of China, the Philippines, and Bulgaria. Our programs mostly focus on placing children who have special medical needs.